New York Islanders games have been postponed due to Covid-19 outbreak within the team, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced on Saturday. The NHL postponed three Ottawa Senators games in mid-November because of that team’s virus outbreak. One of those games, at the New Jersey Devils, has been rescheduled for Dec.6.
General manager Lou Lamoriello said forward Casey Cizikas became the latest player to test positive, the Islanders would have had as many as eight players unavailable. The league said the possibility of additional spread contributed to the Islanders’ games coming Tuesday being called off for now.
Cizikas joined captain Anders Lee, fellow forwards Ross Johnston and Kieffer Bellows and defensemen Zdeno Chara, Adam Pelech and Andy Greene in protocol, and winger Josh Bailey only recently resumed skating after being quarantined.
Lamoriello recently said he had not asked the league office for postponements, the absences and a long-term injury to defenseman Ryan Pulock were making things very difficult for New York. The short-handed Islanders fell 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at home Friday night, their eighth consecutive loss. “We’re kind of piecemealing it,” coach Barry Trotz said afterward. “The young guys who have come in, they’re doing what they can. They’re doing the job that they can. There’s no one not trying right now.”
